NC State worked hard to get rising junior running back Kendrick Raphael, but now has lost him.
Raphael is expected to enter the transfer portal this upcoming week — the portal starts Monday — leaving NC State thin at running back.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder from Naples (Fla.) High rushed 78 times for 425 yards and three touchdowns, plus caught 10 passes for 41 yards last fall. He was in a rotation with redshirt sophomore Daylan Smothers and graduating senior Jordan Waters last year.
Raphael rushed for a season-high 10 times for 90 yards and a touchdown in the 59-35 loss at Clemson on Sept. 21, and he tallied nine carries for 78 yards in a 30-29 loss at Georgia Tech on Nov. 21.
Raphael was forced into extra duty his freshman year due to running backs Jordan Houston and Michael Allen departing the program prematurely for the transfer portal.
NC State returns Smothers, redshirt freshmen Isiah Jones and Jayden Scott, and incoming scatback Deandre Desinor. Smothers rushed 89 times for 571 yards and six touchdowns, and caught 19 passes for 263 yards and two scores.
Raphael was one of NC State’s biggest signees as a Rivals.com four-star prospect in the class of 2023. He was No. 54 overall in Florida and No. 18 running back nationally.
NC State made him a big priority and brought him to campus for an official visit, but then he visited Iowa and committed. Raphael ended up decommitting from the Hawkeyes on Sept. 21, 2022. He picked NC State a little over two months later Nov. 29, 2022.
Raphael rushed 140 carries for 1,731 yard and 22 touchdowns, plus five catches for 30 yards his senior year at Naples High.
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